The sanshin is an Okinawan musical instrument. Often likened to a banjo, it consists of a body, neck and three strings. In the 16th century, it reached the Japanese trading port at Sakai in Osaka, Japan, and eventually developed into the shamisen.
The Okinawan names for the strings are, from thick to thin, uujiru (man-string), nakajiru (middle string) and miijiru (female string). The strings are white, except in Amami , where they are yellow.
Traditionally, players wore a plectrum, made of a material such as the horn of the water buffalo, on the index finger. Many still do, whereas others use a guitar pick or the nail of the index finger. In Amami, long, narrow plectra of bamboo are also in use.
In mainland Japan, many people refer to the sanshin as the "Jabisen" (蛇皮線, "snake-skin strings") because the body of the instrument has a snakeskin covering. A bamboo bridge raises the strings off the skin.
In the years following World War II, many Okinawans made sanshin from empty cans. These "kankara sanshin" were a sign of both the poverty of the postwar years, and the Okinawans' tenacious love of music.
Due to international wildlife protection treaties, it is not legal to export snakeskin-bound sanshins to some countries (for example the UK and USA). If buying a sanshin to take out of Okinawa, it is probably advisable to purchase one that is not bound with snakeskin. This shouldn't limit your choice, because it should usually be possible to have the snakeskin replaced with (usually snakeskin-patterned) cloth.
